MSU defensive coordinator Bobby Daly
Photo by: Bobcat Creative Services
CATS IN CAMP DAY #4: Quarterback Experience Shines Early in Camp
8/3/2026 8:28:00 PM | Football
MSU installs continues to install offensive, defensive schemes
After a year unlike any other in Montana State football history, the Bobcats prepare for the 2026 season beginning with the first preseason practice on July 30 and culminating with the season opener at Utah Tech on August 29.
THE STRAIGHT SKINNY: Montana State conducted its second practice in half-pads and its first on the grass fields near Lambert Field on Monday.
QUARTERBACK EXPERIENCE: What a difference a year makes.
Just one season after entering fall camp with the task of replacing Walter Payton Award winner Tommy Mellott while getting his feet on the ground as the Bobcats' first-year offensive coordinator, Pete Sterbick finds himself "having a lot of fun" after four practices during the program's 2026 preseason camp. A lot of that stems from MSU's experience at quarterback.
"I think it's huge, because of familiarity with everything we're doing, with the scheme, with their teammates, and even things as little as how we run drills all the way to how we function when we're running team situations," he said. "Those are huge advantages for guys be just because they've been there before. And I look to those guys for leadership, and I think their teammates do, and I definitely think it's something that'll help us out in short term and long term."
Senior Justin Lamson returns as the starter after leading the Cats to the 2025 NCAA Division I FCS Championship. Along the way, he set Big Sky Conference and MSU single-season completion percentage records. All of this after not having locked down the starting job entering preseason camp.
The experience doesn't end with Lamson. Junior Patrick Duchien has game experience, although he hasn't led the Cats when a game's outcome hasn't been decided. Senior transfer Jake Hamilton gained game experience at Saint Francis last year, and while redshirt freshman hasn't yet seen game action but his talent is widely acknowledged.
INSTALL: One of the most-heard words or phrases during preseason camp on any college campus is "install," or the process of building a team's offense and defensive schemes. MSU head coach Brent Vigen says that the ongoing process is "one day on top of another. It stacks up pretty quickly."
Preseason camp installation varies from the same process in the spring by both volume and pace, Vigen indicated. "In spring ball we generally have a day off between practices," he said. "In fall camp we have very few days off. The emphasis each day is what's going on that day, but you're also drawn back to what's been going on in previous days. It multiplies as the days and weeks go on."
ONE QUICK QUOTE: "We are trying to install a lot of our mixed-down defense, so ideally by the end of this week we'll have everything that we're going to do on base downs (installed)."
- MSU Defensive Coordinator Bobby Daly, on this week's to-do list
COMING UP: The Bobcats practice in half-pads on the grass fields near Lambert Field on Tuesday, then don full pads on Wednesday. Thursday's practice in spiders is in Bobcat Stadium before the team returns to the grass on Friday and Saturday for full-pad practices. Each of these practices begin at 9:25 am.
#GoCatsGo
THE STRAIGHT SKINNY: Montana State conducted its second practice in half-pads and its first on the grass fields near Lambert Field on Monday.
QUARTERBACK EXPERIENCE: What a difference a year makes.
Just one season after entering fall camp with the task of replacing Walter Payton Award winner Tommy Mellott while getting his feet on the ground as the Bobcats' first-year offensive coordinator, Pete Sterbick finds himself "having a lot of fun" after four practices during the program's 2026 preseason camp. A lot of that stems from MSU's experience at quarterback.
"I think it's huge, because of familiarity with everything we're doing, with the scheme, with their teammates, and even things as little as how we run drills all the way to how we function when we're running team situations," he said. "Those are huge advantages for guys be just because they've been there before. And I look to those guys for leadership, and I think their teammates do, and I definitely think it's something that'll help us out in short term and long term."
Senior Justin Lamson returns as the starter after leading the Cats to the 2025 NCAA Division I FCS Championship. Along the way, he set Big Sky Conference and MSU single-season completion percentage records. All of this after not having locked down the starting job entering preseason camp.
The experience doesn't end with Lamson. Junior Patrick Duchien has game experience, although he hasn't led the Cats when a game's outcome hasn't been decided. Senior transfer Jake Hamilton gained game experience at Saint Francis last year, and while redshirt freshman hasn't yet seen game action but his talent is widely acknowledged.
INSTALL: One of the most-heard words or phrases during preseason camp on any college campus is "install," or the process of building a team's offense and defensive schemes. MSU head coach Brent Vigen says that the ongoing process is "one day on top of another. It stacks up pretty quickly."
Preseason camp installation varies from the same process in the spring by both volume and pace, Vigen indicated. "In spring ball we generally have a day off between practices," he said. "In fall camp we have very few days off. The emphasis each day is what's going on that day, but you're also drawn back to what's been going on in previous days. It multiplies as the days and weeks go on."
ONE QUICK QUOTE: "We are trying to install a lot of our mixed-down defense, so ideally by the end of this week we'll have everything that we're going to do on base downs (installed)."
- MSU Defensive Coordinator Bobby Daly, on this week's to-do list
COMING UP: The Bobcats practice in half-pads on the grass fields near Lambert Field on Tuesday, then don full pads on Wednesday. Thursday's practice in spiders is in Bobcat Stadium before the team returns to the grass on Friday and Saturday for full-pad practices. Each of these practices begin at 9:25 am.
#GoCatsGo
Players Mentioned
Thursday, July 31
Monday, May 19
Wednesday, May 03
Wednesday, May 03
